Tick season starts in Saskatchewan, peak still a month off

Warmer spring temperatures have begun to stir up American dog ticks in Saskatchewan.

You may start to see the ticks on yourself or pet dogs now, but peak season is still about a month away, according to Brent Wagner.

He is a departmental assistant in parasitology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

“(Ticks) will peak right at the end of May and then slowly tail off into June and July,” he said.

Despite frigid conditions late last winter, Wagner expects most ticks will have survived.

“They’re adapted very well for cold, cold weather,” he said. “They get underneath leaf litter and then the snowpack so they’re moderately well-insulated.”

According to Wagner, it’s realistic to assume 10 per cent of the American dog tick population was killed off during winter.

However, Wagner told 650 CKOM most people likely would not notice much of a difference over last year.

American dog tick not a carrier of Lyme disease

Wagner is part of a tick surveillance program at the University of Saskatchewan.

Through submissions, researchers determine the types of ticks being found in Saskatchewan and whether they carry anything harmful like Lyme disease.

Deer ticks, also known as black-legged ticks, are associated with Lyme.

According to Wagner, only one or two ticks tested in Saskatchewan last year were positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

In total, people submitted around 1,500 ticks last year, including six deer ticks.